Pep Guardiola admits truth on relationship with Kevin De Bruyne after contract snub | OneFootball

Pep Guardiola has given a peak through the curtain into his relationship with Kevin De Bruyne in the final months of the midfielder’s spell at Manchester City.

De Bruyne was given a brilliant reception in Manchester City’s final two Premier League games of the campaign against Bournemouth and Fulham as the 2023 treble winners picked up six points out of six to seal a third-placed league table finish.

The 33-year-old is nearing a two-year move to Napoli and is expected to make a formal announcement on his next club in the near future as family members finalise personal terms for the Belgium international to move to Italy.

After Guardiola’s most difficult season in charge of City, De Bruyne was told by club officials in early April that his time at the Etihad Stadium had come to an end and that the midfielder was not going to receive a contract renewal offer.

De Bruyne then broke a long-withheld silence on his future by confirming these will be his last months as a Manchester City player as the Blues remained in a fight to secure a top five Premier League finish to ensure UEFA Champions League football next season.

Guardiola named De Bruyne in the starting XI in a frustrating 0-0 draw away at Southampton a few weeks ago and again against Bournemouth last week, with the playmaker starting his final game in a Manchester City shirt against Fulham on the bench at Craven Cottage on Sunday.

In his post-match press conference in west London, Guardiola was pressed on whether his relationship with De Bruyne has changed since the decision on the midfielder’s future was made and if the Catalan was happy with De Bruyne’s performances since.

“Yes, I’m happy with the way he (De Bruyne) is playing, and the relationship is completely the same,” Guardiola said as Manchester City work on a deal to sign Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White and AC Milan’s Tijjani Reijnders.

After withdrawing interest in Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz, who was reliably reported to be leading Manchester City’s wishlist to replace De Bruyne, incoming sporting director Hugo Viana is spearheading City’s pursuit of Gibbs-White, who is understood to have agreed personal terms with the club.

On the difficulty of replacing De Bruyne, Guardiola added: “There are players that is really, really, really difficult to replace. Really, really difficult, for many, many reasons.

“Yes, we know that. But the season we have done is the season we have done, and we cannot deny it. And of course, we have to move forward.”